The Frame

Rankine, whose poetry has examined everyday racism in America, and Wolfe, whose music addresses issues of the American worker, were both named MacArthur Foundation fellows; as the Fall TV season launches, we visit with producer Betsy Beers at Shondaland, one of the most successful companies in the industry.

Diavolo Dance Theatre is reinventing modern dance by combing architecture and wildly physical choreography; media critics have been piling on NBC for going soft on the GOP nominee, and now late night host Samantha Bee has joined the fray; Richard Nelson keeps his election-themed plays current by writing until the last minute.

The new documentary, “The Lovers and the Despot,” tells the true story of what happened in 1978 when Kim Jong-il ordered the kidnapping of a filmmaking couple from South Korea to jumpstart North Korea's movie industry; William Bell has revived the classic Stax sound; a new report shows that the music business is actually making money in the streaming age.

Playwright and performer Lucy Alibar draws on her Southern childhood for “Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up"; Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, who won a writing Emmy for "Master of None," talk about their approach to diversity; the Toronto International Film Festival kicked off a lot of Academy Award talk.

Kent McCord of the 1960-70s TV cop show, "Adam-12," which was produced in partnership with the LAPD. McCord says a show about cops who aren't "edgy" wouldn't sell in today's TV business; In advance of TV's big awards night, we discuss what goes into an Emmy campaign, and how valuable is a nomination or a win in this era of "too much TV"?

Cheo Hodari Coker, creator and showrunner of the Netflix series "Luke Cage," unpacks the idea of building a show around a superhero who also happens to be a "bullet-proof black man" in a hoodie; Can Pandora and Amazon be the next disruptors in the streaming music space? They hope so.

The documentary "Audrie & Daisy" examines the sexual assault and cyber-shaming of two teen girls; with its third album, the band Local Natives remains entrenched in Silver Lake's indie rock scene; a group of songwriters is challenging the Dept. of Justice's control over royalty rates.

How do unconscious biases affect hiring practices in Hollywood? To dig deeper into this issue, Cathy Schulman (Oscar-winning producer/Women In Film) and Judith Williams (Global Head of Diversity at Dropbox) put Frame host John Horn to the test as if he's a studio executive; In 2005 Jackie Lopez co-founded the hip hop troupe "Versa Style" to teach kids not only how to dance but the cultural history behind hip hop.

"Kicks" filmmakers discuss how being outsiders who didn't fit society's views of manhood fueled the making of their lyrical coming-of-age drama; A new documentary explores why Brad Bird's 1999 animated film "The Iron Giant" was a critical darling, but a box office bomb; Inside Nate Parker's "The Birth of a Nation" press conference at TIFF; Can you scream like Nicholas Cage?

Every August, cultural festivals take over the Scottish city of Edinburgh with thousands of performances taking place day and night. This year The Frame host John Horn immersed himself in shows and brings an audio postcard of his creative excursion; TV reporter Whitney Friedlander joins us to preview some new and returning television shows that are worthy of our time and DVR space this fall.

As the actress wraps up the final season of "Veep," she looks back and ahead; why are so many theater productions based on old movies and TV shows?

The music producer has worked with Randy Newman, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and Los Lobos, and occasionally releases his own music; highlights and lowlights from week one of Coachella; the Write Girl program provides mentoring for teens by actors and writers.

Emma Thompson dropped out of a Skydance movie after the studio hired disgraced former Pixar CEO, John Lasseter. The she wrote a public letter about it. She tells us why. We discuss what's next in the on-going fight between the WGA and talent agencies. And we sample new features coming to a movie theater near you.

The comedian's new Hulu series is a fictionalized version of his life growing up in New Jersey as the son of Egyptian immigrant parents; inside the memorial service for Nipsey Hussle; the all-girl Japanese band, Chai.

Re-animated artists have become a big part of the concert business, now including Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and opera star Maria Callas; why is Netflix buying the Egyptian Theatre?; an experimental production of "King Lear" leaves the king offstage.

The Tony Award-winning actor takes on the role of newsman Howard Beale in a stage adaptation of the 1976 movie; with 'Game of Thrones' about to resume, we visit with the show's weapons master.

Since going viral after the 2017 Women's March, the song by MILCK has taken on a life of its own; what's in store for fans at Coachella this weekend?; the indie hip-hop duo Closegood blends experimental hip-hop with poetry and emo music.

The company specializes in abridged versions of The Bard's works that are played strictly for yuks; what are the challenges facing movie theater owners?; Yo-Yo Ma is embarked on a wildly ambitious Bach Project.

Emilio Estevez writes, directs and stars in the movie, about a library that's a refuge for homeless patrons; "Fresh Off The Boat" hits 100 episodes – what is its lasting impact on the TV landscape?; at CinemaCon, AMC announced theaters in Saudi Arabia, and Helen Mirren yells "F--- Netflix."

The singer's 1972 gospel concert film finally arrives in theaters after decades of technical and legal challenges; the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles is trying to move on from leadership controversies; the Los Angeles Poverty Department has been making theater with the residents of Skid Row for nearly 35 years.

The annual exhibit of site-specific public art has visitors flocking to the Palm Springs area for more than the usual fun-in-the-sun; rapper Nipsey Hussle left behind a legacy of music and community activism.